Mohegan Sun subsequently sued the commission, alleging various defects with the process. The Supreme Judicial Court did not rule on the merits of the claims but said the tribe's entity has a right to be heard.

“Mohegan Sun had a legitimate expectation, backed up by substantial investments of resources in the application process, that the commission would follow the law in awarding the license that Mohegan Sun sought,” the March 10 decision stated.

The license at issue went to Wynn Resorts, a company owned by billionaire Steve Wynn. The firm broke ground on a $2 billion project in Everett, a suburb of Boston, the state's most populous city. The facility is expected to open in June 2019.